Mahabharata · 7.24.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
दुर्मुखस् तु महेष्वासो वीरं पुरुजितं बली ॥
द्रोणायाभिमुखं यान्तं कुन्तिभोजम् अवारयत् ॥
स दुर्मुखं भ्रुवोर् मध्ये नाराचेन व्यताडयत् ॥
तस्य तद् विबभौ वक्त्रं सनालम् इव पङ्कजम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
durmukhas tu maheṣvāso vīraṃ purujitaṃ balī ||
droṇāyābhimukhaṃ yāntaṃ kuntibhojam avārayat ||
sa durmukhaṃ bhruvor madhye nārācena vyatāḍayat ||
tasya tad vibabhau vaktraṃ sanālam iva paṅkajam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दुर्मुखःdurmukhaḥDurmukha; Durmukha
तुtuindeed; —
महेष्वासःmaheṣvāsaḥa great archer; a great archer
वीरम् पुरुजितम्vīram purujitamthe hero Purujit; the warrior Purujit
बलीbalīmighty; mighty
द्रोणाय अभिमुखम्droṇāya abhimukhamstraight at Drona [facing Drona]; straight at Drona
यान्तम्yāntamadvancing [riding up]; riding up
कुन्तिभोजम्kuntibhojamKuntibhoja; Kuntibhoja
अवारयत्avārayatshielded [repelled]; held back
सःsaḥhe [Kuntibhoja]; he
दुर्मुखम्durmukhamDurmukha; Durmukha
भ्रुवोः मध्येbhruvoḥ madhyebetween the brows; between the brows
नाराचेनnārācenawith an [iron] naracha arrow; with a naracha arrow
व्यताडयत्vyatāḍayatstruck [wounded]; struck
तस्यtasyahis; [of] his
तत् वक्त्रम्tat vaktramthat face; [that] face
विबभौvibabhaushone forth [appeared radiant]; took on the appearance
सनालम्sanālamwith a stalk; [as] on a stalk
इवivaas [like]; exactly like
पङ्कजम्paṅkajama lotus; a lotus
Translation
Durmukha, a great archer, mighty, held back the hero Purujit Kuntibhoja, who was riding up in the fight straight at Drona. He [Kuntibhoja] struck Durmukha with a naracha arrow between the brows; and his face took on the appearance, exactly like a lotus on its stalk.
Version
c181b39f857b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The arrow lodged between Durmukha's brows turns his wounded face into the likeness of a lotus upon its stalk — the horror of the wound clothed in unexpected beauty. This favorite device of the tradition — seeing a flower in the terrible — is not indifference to pain, but a subtle reminder that even at the very heart of destruction the world does not lose its strange loveliness. It is telling that a bloodied face is likened to the sacred lotus. The verse teaches that the eye of the seer-poet discerns beauty even where none, it would seem, could be found; that this is not a softening of horror but testimony to the ever-present harmony that does not abandon the world even in the hour of slaughter; and that one who can see a lotus in a wound has not hardened his heart, but has learned to discern the unquenchable beauty of creation through its very anguish.